Yes, it has been released for a while now (two weeks?), even in my end of the world, so .nl must definitely have it. It's not being pushed as an OTA. Search for one using PC Companion. Also, my collegues testify that a clean install is preferable, otherwise it's acting strangely. But hey - that's Android for you.

Rollout of an update always takes a while. You can expect most kits to have received an update around two months after the start of the rollout. This is the case for several reasons (carrier and government approvals, local app additions, ...) and there's not much you can do about it.

However, if you can find a .ftf file (check XDA-developers) for the update you can just flash it without risk, without unlocking anything and without losing any data using Flashtool (a reverse-engineered Sony Update Service).

That's one more reason to take a stab at clean install ( http://forum.xda-dev...d.php?t=1937792 ), if you have time. If you don't, well... apart from battery life improvements there's not really much to see there. Glove mode is overrated (personal observation, take care!).

Check this link: http://talk.sonymobi...om/thread/53822, see if your SI number is on the list. If the Xperia Sola's rollout of ICS is anything like my Xperia Mini's ICS rollout, Sony will do it in batches, so your phone might not be in the first batch. For my Xperia Mini it took about two months from the first batch to the last batch to get ICS, so you might have to wait a bit...

Anyway if your SI is there then connect your phone to the Sony PC Companion software to check for updates, the on-device "Update center" is (in my observation) usually delayed or does not work. I had been updating my Xperia Mini (including from Gingerbread to ICS) using PC Companion.

Well, Apple is in very tight control. Carriers expect different customized versions from Sony, and every regional edition features different pre-installed apps. It's a bit of a downside but it's something that all manufacturers have to face. Only Apple devices get updated at the same time.